Foreign readers of prose enjoy great popularity among young readers. When asked what children from Russian literature should read today, not only the stories of Tolstoy and Chekhov come to mind, but also the works of very talented authors of the Soviet period. Their list is extensive. More than one generation has grown on their books. But modern children, by virtue of their widespread dislike of reading, hardly heard of these authors. One of them is Anatoly Aleksin. The “Home Composition”, the summary of which is the subject of this article, is a sad and kind story of unfulfilled happiness.
About the benefits of reading
Anatoly Aleksin created heroes with a sensitive heart and a subtle soul in his stories . The Home Composition, a summary of which is presented in this article, is the story of the boy Dima, an avid reader. One day someone else’s letter fell into his hands. But the boy was so fond of reading that he could not resist and set aside the message that was intended for another person. This story is a small work. But after reading it, the impression remains huge.
Dima read all the books that were written for children of his age. And then he began to get acquainted with works intended for a more adult audience. And once, from a parent's bookcase, he took out the Great Encyclopedia. This book was voluminous and heavy, and it seemed to the boy that the one who mastered it would certainly become a highly educated person. And he began a fascinating reading.
Dima in the same spirit would continue to expand his horizons if he did not find a strange message in the encyclopedia. And with the help of this find, it is as if Anatoly Aleksin allows a glimpse into the past of his hero. The “Home Composition,” a summary of which is based on the text of the letter, is a small work that has two storylines. The first is the story of Dima. The second is what happened long before his birth.
Dima and a letter from the past
In the volume of the encyclopedia, the boy accidentally found a notebook sheet, covered in an unfamiliar handwriting. It was a letter. And it was written many years before it fell into the hands of a boy.
The creator of fascinating stories is Aleksin. The “Home Composition”, the summary of which is the history of a letter that reached the addressee after half his life, is one of the characteristic works for the writer's work in the 70s and 80s. The heroes of Aleksin in the books of that time are children and adolescents who do not know the war, but feel its echoes.
Student's composition
Further on the contents of the mysterious letter tells Aleksin. “Home Composition” - such a title had this message. Wrote his ninth grade student. But most of all, Dima was struck by the one to whom it was addressed. This letter was intended in 1972. At the same time, the author turned to a certain Valais.
Most of the story was dedicated to this message by Anatoly Aleksin. The home writing was very moving and gentle. It was clear from him that a certain Volodya had written an essay on the instructions of his teacher. The theme of this creative assignment is “Letter of the Year”. Which one is not important. The author of the essay chose 1972, one that will come thirty years after completing homework.
Letter to Valais
This work contains warmth and sadness, as, incidentally, in many stories written by A.G. Aleksin. The home composition was more like a letter, as it was addressed to the girl Vale. The author turned to her, and it seemed impossible that anyone else could ever read these lines.
Volodya expressed confidence that in 1972 they would certainly be together: he and Valya. And he was glad that he now knew for sure about her indifference to Lesha Filippov. After all, with Valya they only attend a literary circle together. But years will pass, and she will marry not for Lesha, but for him, the author of this work. They will have two children. They will also work together. They will become surgeons. Their common goal will be to save people. “And for this it’s worth living on earth,” Volodya sums up his dreams.
Dreams that have not come true
This letter was addressed to Vale Filippova, a woman living a floor above. She nevertheless did not marry Volodya, but Alexei. But the son was named after the author of this letter. And Dima remembered the neighbor woman with kind eyes. And Vladimir, a tall and awkward young man. And Alexei Petrovich Filippov.
Even in prose about peaceful life, Alexin was often touched on the topic of war. “Home composition” (the main characters and the plot of this story are inextricably linked with the tragedy that took place long before the birth of Dima) can be called the story of dreams destroyed by the war. Volodya died in 1945. And after that February morning, when his mother, Dima’s grandmother, received a funeral, she seemed to have died. Until that moment, she was cheerful and even loved to sing. But the death of a child is impossible to survive. Her fun died, the ability to enjoy life died.
Grandma told Dima who Valya is. And the boy the next day went to guard Valentina Filippova near the entrance. He certainly needed to pass a letter ...